Nigel Farage welcomed 29 councillors who have defected to Reform ahead of the local elections in May as he insisted the party would not be damaged by the row involving Rupert Lowe.
Fifteen of the councillors unveiled by Mr Farage at a press conference have joined from the Conservatives in a further blow to Kemi Badenoch’s party.
Another councillor crossed the floor from the Liberal Democrats, while the rest had previously sat as independents.
The event comes in the wake of a dramatic row between Mr Farage and Mr Lowe, who was suspended from Reform earlier this month as the party citing bullying claims and threats he allegedly made against party chairman Zia Yusuf.
The allegations are denied by Mr Lowe, who claims they have been motivated by his criticisms of the party leadership.
Speaking before he welcomed Reform’s new recruits to the stage, Mr Farage said: “We need some old lags, we need some people who’ve been in council and know what they’re doing.
“And that’s why I’m delighted to announce that over course of the last two weeks we have been able to sign up [29] people.”
Heather Asker, who was previously part of an independent bloc of councillors, sits on Saffron Walden town council, which is in Mrs Badenoch’s constituency of the same name.
Mr Yusuf said of the defections: “We have a very special announcement for you today, that underscores the stunning momentum that Reform has had since the general election last year.”
Insisting the row involving Mr Lowe would not affect his party’s momentum, Mr Farage concluded: “We’re going to be out there where we’re allowed to have elections. We’re going to be canvassing, campaigning, and doing our best, as I said at the start, to prove that the polls aren’t virtual, actually that real votes exist out there on the ground.
“And I believe that they do, I believe absolutely that nothing that has happened in the past two weeks is going to put a dent in what we’re about to achieve on May 1.”
Taking questions from journalists after his speech, Mr Farage said he had grown “bored” of answering questions about Mr Lowe.
Despite engaging with initial questions about the spat, he became increasingly irritated when pressed on the controversy.
Asked by The Telegraph whether he would fight Mr Lowe in court on libel claims, he said simply: “I’m bored”, before attempting to move on. When another journalist asked about Mr Lowe, he cut the reporter off with a groan.
Responding to the press conference, the Conservatives accused Nigel Farage of a “sham announcement”, saying that 22 out of the 29 had already been announced.
The party said Cathy Hunt, one of the 29 councillors, already joined Reform on February 1, with Richard Palmer defecting on February 7.
A Conservative spokesman said: “Some of these ‘new’ Councillors, who Farage said had joined from the Conservative Party, were actually councillors the Conservatives had deselected.”
A party source said: “This sham announcement from Fake Farage looks like a desperate attempt to distract from the open warfare at the top of Reform.
“It’s no wonder former Reform UK MP and leadership contender Rupert Lowe described the Party as a ‘malicious circus’ and questioned Farage’s abilities.
“Announcements falling apart under scrutiny is typical Reform – they are all spin and no substance, and will always put self-interest ahead of the national interest.”
